National Scenic Trails

Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

National Seashores

Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts

Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland and Virginia

Canaveral National Seashore, Florida

Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina

Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Fire Island National Seashore, New York

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida and Mississippi

Padre Island National Seashore, Texas

Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Other Designations

Constitution Gardens, District of Columbia

Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland

Constitution Gardens, District of Columbia

Fort Washington Park, Maryland

Greenbelt Park, Maryland

National Capital Parks-East, District of Columbia

National Mall and Memorial Parks, District of Columbia

Piscataway Park, Maryland

Prince William Forest Park, Virginia

Rock Creek Park, District of Columbia

White House, District of Columbia

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Virginia

Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, Maine

Cost of Travel

Only 118 of 417 park sites charge entrance fees. One can obtain a park entrance pass by visiting a park site that charges an entrance fee.

National Park Maps

You can view maps on specific park websites. You can also get a map from the national park services when you visit the park.

Camping in National Parks

For campground reservations, visit Recreation.gov. Not all parks participate in this service; many campgrounds are first come, first served.

For more information on specific camping and lodging services offered at the park(s) of your interest, please check specific park websites.

How do I reserve a tour in a park?

You can book some park tours through Recreation.gov. But note that not all parks participate in this reservation service. For more information on tours offered at a specific park, please see the park search.

Can I bring my pet to a national park?

Some national parks welcome pets—in developed areas, on many trails and campgrounds, and in some lodging facilities.

What do I need to know about driving off road in national parks?

Before you head out, check with the national parks that you intend to visit. In many national parks, off-road driving is illegal. Where off-road driving is allowed, the National Park Service regulates it.

15 National Parks Fun Facts

There are over 27,000 historic and prehistoric structures preserved within the 417 National Parks System.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska is the largest National Park in the country at 13.2 million acres of area.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Pennsylvania is the smallest national park unit at a mere 0.02 acres of area.

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,185 mile long public trail that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains from Maine to Georgia.

The nation’s deepest cave is 1,593 ft deep in New Mexico at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Yellowstone National Park sits on top of a super volcano, one active volcano, thousands of petrified trees, and almost 300 waterfalls.

Yosemite National Park supports more than 400 species of vertebrates including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

There are more than 2,000 documented arches in the Arches National Park, some as tall as up to 300 feet.

Acadia is the oldest park east of the Mississippi River and the first instance where the land was donated to the federal government.

Bryce Canyon has the largest collection of hoodoos–odd-shaped pillars of rock–in the world.

Crater Lake’s volcanic caldera is almost 6 miles in diameter and 3,900 feet deep.

Maui’s Haleakala, meaning “House of the Sun” in Hawaiian, is one of the world’s largest volcanic craters.

Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park two active volcanoes are within the bounds of this national park, Kilauea being the world’s most active.

Isle Royale National Park is the only national park in the United States that completely closes in the off-season. The park is typically closed November through mid-April due to extreme weather conditions. Also, Isle Royale has the most repeat visitors.

Mammoth Cave National Park is the world’s longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles explored.